System for lubricating wheel flanges



July l5, 1930.

H. L. BULLOCK SYSTEM FOR LUBRICATING WHEEL- FLANGES Fired Aug. 16, 1928 'Patented July 15, 1930 j 1 HARVEY L'. numbers, or AnnsLEYiNnWYoRK sYszTnivr For; LBCATG FLAnGEs 5 applicativa fuefiagiis le, 1928. serial nefaeaees.

rlhis invention relates to a system or'lubrii y 'eatingA the flangesof railu'ray carwheels. It

has been recognized for years thatllub'ricaw tion should be prolded for thek flanges of car Wheels particularlyrat curves inthe track, for Where the-car changes direction in passing `about a curve, the'flang'es are forced sharply against the rail heads AWith suitable 'force'V with the result that both the rails andflanges are subjected to pronounced Wear which is y frequently aeconip'anied by considerable noise'.v

Because o'frvvear loccasioned inthe manner described, it is necessaryto frequently change the Wheels onfc'ars and'this' isparticularly true on' switch engines' Which are almost constantly'trav'eling over curves and frogs and otherwise changing direction.` rlhe r'ene'vv'al andv replacement of Wheelsfor the reasons stated constitutes an appreciable partei the 1naintenancel otrailivay rolling stock and aside from the expense entailed in this operation alsone'c'essitates the removal of cars or locomotives from servce'to'permt oftlier reconditioning in the manner stated.

Numerous attempts.` have vbeen inadeto eliminatethe Wear to Which I haverei'e'rred; For example, it has been suggested to provide a tankA of o'il and another tank of coinpressed air and to so control the *feed of oil and compressed air from' the respective tanks that the oil'wvillvbe' fed upon the'peripheries of the Wheels ivhilelthe Wheels are traversing a curve. In all" of these devices, however, the arrangement'has been such'that the o'il started to feed under the action of cornpressed air as' soon as the car or locomotive Wheels reached the curveand continued to i'loiv until the Wheels had completely trav! ersed the curve and again reached a straight portion of the track. It is not uncommon for va curve to be quite extensive and it is therefore obvious that in such prior arrangements,

' great quantities of oil were fedy at each curve,

so that in the rlrst place it Was not ronly prac tically impossible to keep a sufficient oil supply, butthe further and more serious dini'- culty wvasinherent in the fact that so much o'i'l Was/fed that it not onlyv coated practically all of the running gear of the car or locomotive, but alsoiformed alilin of oilonthe tread l of the Wheel With ivhich the brakes are called. npn to cooperate in suchi'nan'ner as to pre'- clude Vbraking of thetrain. 'As `a"-Inatter or fact, the oil Wasted in such quantities as to lubricate the brake shoes sothat it Was practically impossible to stop the train. This diliic`ulty vvillre'sult even'though oil is fed under combined' hydrostatic and pneumatic pres sure or Vunder hydrostatic pressure with an adinixing 'and spraying with compressed air. As a result the most satisfactory method known tothe art7 prior to this invention,` is to employ trac'liv'alkers* Who A'period ically manually apply grease by Ineaz'usv of daub'ers, brushes or the like to the tracks at the curves and frogs. No satisfactory mechanical' or. automatic means has yet `been produced for v solving the problem to' which l have referred. My study and Vdeliberation have convinced Ine that the elimination oli excessive Wear'on Wheel flanges can only be practically and" satisfactorily overcomev bythe lubrication 'of these flanges in contra-distinction to' lubrication of the rails'. 'Satisfactory distribution of lubricant on a rail is not practically feas- 'ib'le because of the relatively extensive .chartives, etc., and it'ispreferred that this lubrication be automatic', so that the lubricant may be conserved as much as practical. Furthermore, an equally important object of: the

invention vis to so lubricate flanges of the Wheels that only. suihciently amount of lubricant is applied to eliminate the Wear and Vinsucient'lubricant is supplied to interfere With proper functioning of the brakes or to bring`v about av distribution of the lubricant CPB throughout the running gearing of the car.

It is the purpose of the present invention, therefore, to provide for the automat-ic application of a relatively small predetermined amount of lubricant to the flanges of the wheels and to control the feed of such lubricant in such manner that it will be fed while the wheels are traversing a. curve in the track Without, however, necessarily feeding the lubricant throughout the full extent of the curve. Thus I am able to obtain proper lubrication in a thoroughly automatic manner without the difliculties inherent in the automatic structures heretofore suggested.

In practically carrying out the invention, it is found that the best results are obtained by atomizing the lubricant preferably in the form of a fine spray upon the wheel flanges. This may be accomplished in practice by providing a suitable source of lubricating means adapted to be fed by means of compressed air from a suitable source through nozzles positioned in proximity to the wheel flanges, so that at desired times, a predetermined measured quantity of lubricant may be entrained in a quantity of compressed air which is freed in the direction of the wheel flanges to atomize the lubricant in the form of mistupon said flanges. Thus in practically carrying out the invention, suitable nozzles are juxtaposed with the wheel flanges and are fed from a suitable source of lubricant and compressed air and the passage of lubricant and compressed air to these nozzles is preferably7 controlled in an automatic manner, so that as the car starts to turn a curve, such predetermined quantity of oil together .with compressed air are fed to the nozzles to lubricate the flanges as stated.

Prolonged tests under operating conditions have shown that the system of this invention will adequately lubricate the wheel flanges and materially increase their length of service without causing gumming of the ruiming gear or improper functioning of the brakes. y

Features of the invention, other than those specified, will be apparent from the hereinafter detailed description and claims, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one practical embodiment of the invention, but the construction therein shown is to be understood as illustrative, only, and not as delining the limits of the invention.

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showing certain parts in section and illustrating a system embodyin@r the present invention.

Figure 2 shows in section certain valve mechanism illustrated with the parts in different positions in Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a car axle having associated wheels 2 provided with the usual flanges 3 and adapted to run on rails 4C which collectively constitute the track.

Mounted on the car with which the wheels 2 are associated is a valve casing 5. This valve casing may be of any appropriate shape or configuration and may be constructed of one or more parts. For the purpose of illustration, however, I have shown it of substan- 1.' 1 if ivla., tially inver ted l shape and as pi ended with three arms 6, 7 and 8 which are substantially tubular. The arms G and l are in alinement while the arm 8 is at substantially right angles thereto. Each of the arms 7 and 8 are provided with valve seats 9, 9a and 10, respectively, while the arm 6 is formed with a stop 11.

Adapted for cooperation with the seats 9 and 9iL is a ball valve 12 and cooperating with the seat 10 is a ball valve 13. lilounted to slide within the arm 6 is a piston 11i preferably provided with a suitable packing 15 and extending from the forward end of this piston is a push rod 1o adapted when the lpiston is moved to the eXtreme right in Figure 1 to unseat the valve 12 from seat 9 and force it against seat 9, as shown in this ligure.

lositio.v ed below the valve 13 in the arm 8 is another push rod 17 which is adapted to be operated by cam surface 1S formed on the forward end of the piston 14;, so that when the piston moves to the right from the posi tion shown in Figure 2 the lower end of the rod 17 will be forced up by the surface 18 and will thus engage the valve 13 and force it from its seat as shown in Figure'l.

Associated with the valve casing which l have described are suitable sources of compressed air and a lubricating medium. rThe source of compressed airis designated 19 and may, if desired, be the main compressed air reservoir with which cars and locomotives are usually provided, although a separate source of compressed air may be utilized if desired. From the reservoir 19, a pipe 2O extends to a T 21 and in this pipe is included a reducingvalve 22 and a shut oli" valve One branch of a T is connected by a pipe 2l to another T 25 one branch of .which is connected by a pipe 2G to a valve chamber 27 of the valvel. The other branch of trie T 25 is connected by a pipe 2S to a lubricating reservoir' 29 with which charging apparatus 30 is associated. The base of the tank 29 is connected by a pipe 31 with a check valve 32, which, in turn, communicates with the valve chamber 33 of the valve 12. il. spring Sil normally maintains the check valve in engagement with its seat 35.

The T 21 is connected to the cylinder back of the piston 14, but in this connection, suitable eontrol means is positioned so that the admission of compressed air into said cylinder may be properly controlled. This means may partake of different forms, but, in the showingl of the drawings, the pipe 36 leads from theTk 21 to the casing-370i a magnetic valve which is diagrammatically illustratedy in the drawings. This casing has two opposed valve seats'38 and 39. Avalve 40 cooperates with the formerand'the valve 41 with the latter andthese two'valves are connected together by a rod 42, whilefa valve stem 43 connects both of the valves to the core 44 of a solenoid having awinding 45. A spring 46, normally elevates both valves to seat the valve 41 and unseat the valvev 40, but

-whenthe coil 45 is energized, the core 44 will beV depressed to its magnetic center'and will overcome the tension of the spring 46k to seat' the valve 40 and unseat/the valve 41,.The pipe '39 communicates with the chamber 47 of the valve 41, while the chamber 48 of the valve 40 is vented asshown at 49.l The ,rod

42 extends loosely through -av'passageO and Vhen the switch armis in neutral position i as shown in dotted-lines',V in Figure '1, the

leaves 57 and 58 will be ree'rrom both contacts 59, butif the switch armis swung into either direction as, for example', into the full line position of this vfigure, one ofthe leaves willengage one, of the contacts and complete a circuit through Vthe core yof vthe solenoid. 1n the construction shown, theswitch 54 may be conveniently mounted upon the draw bai' support of the car or locomotive,'and the switch arm may beconnected by a spring 60 to the end frame61 of the adjacent wheel Y truck, so that when the carA is traveling along a straight track, the switchrarm will be held in neutral position,'but as soon as the car starts to traverse a curved track relativey movement between theV truck and the draw bar support will bring about a pivotal Inovem'ent of the Aswitch armwith consequent 'come pletion of the magnet valve circuit.

lt' will be noted that the rod 16 which controls the valve 12 fits loosely through a passage 62Yin the valve casing and this passage is connected by means of a pipe 63 to a chamber 64, which, is, in turn, connectedby flexible tubes 65 and 66 to nozzles 67 and 68 suit-` ably supported in cooperative relation'to the flanges of the wheels 2. AAdditional flexible tubes leadl to other nozzles positioned adjacent *the 'flanges of they other wheels of the same truck and other tubes may also lead to -the'iiaii'ges of the other trucks of the car or locomotive, so thatiall the wheels of the par- "space on y40 and unseat the valve 41. A

ticular car or locomotive lmay be incorpo` 'n rated in theonesystem:

The operationfrof .the system kfor thecarrying out of its `iiunctions will now `be den scribed.

'Under normal conditions, air under-"p're's- 'Y sure is contained'` in a reservoir 19. Suitable .f Yll'ibi-icant vsucn as oil ispcontained in vthe `reservoir 29. Thevalve-12 will be in engagev mentwith the seat 9 and the pressure of air through the pipe 28 Ywillhave forced Ysutlicient lubricant fromthe tank 29 past'the maand the space 33b with lubricant. `When thesespaces are filled the :spring 34 will 'seat' the check valve 32V therebyV leaving a portion of the oil within'tliesespaces isolatedV Jronithe oil in the tank 29. During this normal `period of inactivity, the valve 40 is unseatedandthevalve 41 seated and the valves ofthevalve casing 5 are in the positions shown inFig. 2. This will bethenor.- mal positionsv orp the parts, while the car `is ltraveling along a straight track. lVhen the car starts to make a turn, the act of turning the curve automatically brings about movecheck valve 32 to Vtill the chamber' '1733, the Y saY mentvoif the switch arm 55 from its normal ,Y Y

neutral dottedlinegposit'ion into the position shown -in full lines in Fig'. 1, thereby result# ing in energizing vthe circuit 52. Thec0r'e44 is immediately drawn downto close the As a result, air from: the' reservoir piston 14, thereby forcing the piston to the to the right, the rod 17 is elevated to unseat the valve 13, `while the rod 16 is operatedto unseat the valve 12 from seat 9 and'force it v valvek v. Y

19'is fedv f through the pipes] 20, 36j and through the l valve' casing 37 and pipe 51 to the cylinderV of the valve casing 5 and operates upon the right. Duringthe movement ofthis piston to seat 9a. 'Immediately the valve 13 isun- V seated, compressed air is fed through Vthe pipes 24 and 26 into thevalve casing and past Y the valve 13 into the passage 62 and thence ,f through the pipe 63 into the chamber 64.

A When this operation occurs, the forcing oi the valve 12 to its seatV 9 by the piston stem 16 positively isolates that portion of the oil which is contained in the space 33 from theY other oil in the spaces 33a and 33b and this portion of the oil which hasbeen isolated in the space 33 is picked up by the compressed air as it rushes through the casing and out through the passage 63 to the chamber 64, so that this oil is entrained with the compressed air andfcairied therewith to the chamber 64 which constitutes a mixing chamber, -ParllO lili) ticular attentionis directed vtov the :tact that by the isolation of this quantity of 'oilin the jlongas there is pressure back of the piston "'12 yspace 33,1,bri`ng about the feed et a pre- Y 14 and t-hus no more oil can pass through from the tank 29 after this predetermined amount has been fed until the next operation of the apparatus which occurs when the next curve is reached.

From thisV mixing chamber 64 oil and air pass through the flexible connections G and 66 to the nozzles 67 and 68 and by virtue of the presence of air pressure, this oil is atomized in a fine spray on to the flanges of the wheels. |Thus the oil is economically fed to the flanges and thoroughly lubricates said flanges, while the car or locomotive is traversing a curve. As soon as the car reaches a straight portion of the track beyond the curve, the switch arm again assumes its neutral position and the piston will be retracted.

' It will be apparent that in this connection, as soon as the circuitl 52 is brolzen by movement of the switch arm into neutral position, the spring 46 will seat the valve Lll and unseat the valve 40, thereby venting the cylinder and the piston will thereupon be forced by the rods 17 and 16 to the left in Fig. 1 to permit the valve 12 to engage seat 9 and valve 13 also to seat and shut olf the flow of compressed air. The flanges will be left sufliciently lubricatedto maintain this condition until another curve is reached whereupon further lubrication of these flanges occurs.

My experience with a system of this character has shown me that it isV thoroughly efiicient in the carrying out of its intended purposes. It is economical in the use of lubricant and minimizes the wear to which I have hereinbefore referred. The drawings show a system which has been found in practice to give thoroughly satisfactory results and while I have described the piping connections in great detail in order that the invention may be fully understood, I am aware that these piping connections may vary within wide limits without departing from this invention, the essential consideration being that a predetermined measured quantity of lubricant be fed by compressed air to the nozzles in a manner to lubricate the wheel flanges by either automatic or manually controlled means.

The foregoing detailed description sets forth the invention in its preferred practical form and the invention is to be understood for the reasons stated as fully commensurate with the appended claims.

I wish to call attention to the factthat when wheel flanges are lubricated in the manner described, wear is not only minimize; on the flanges, but lubricant from the is also deposited on the rails and serves to proA4 tect the rails against wear. lily eXpq has shown further that by prope y lr. ing these cooperating parts, the tendency of derailment at frogs, switches or at curves is minimized and travel rendered more safe than heretofore.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a system for lubricating the flanges of cz r and locomotive wheels, a. suitable source of lubricant, a suitable source of compressed air, nozzles positioned adjacent the wheel flanges, a mixing chamber, a conduit leading from the mixing chamber to the nozzles, conduits leading from the sources of compressed air and lubricant to the mixing chamber, a valve in each of said latter conduits, and a pneumatically operated piston for opening one valve to feed a predetermined amount of lubricant into the mixing chamber from the source of lubricant supply and for simultaneously opening the other valve to feed sufiicientcompressed air into the mixing chamber to be admixed wit i the lubricant therein and to pneuniiaticaliy feed such lubricant to and through the nozzles whereby the lubricant is atomized upon the wheel flanges.

2. In a system for lubricating the flanges of car and locomotive wheels, a suitable valve c: s ng, a soir-cc of compressed air, a source of lubricant., means for conveying compressed air and the lubricant from their respective to the valve casing, nozzles positioned aajaco t the wheel flanges, conduits leading from the nozzles to the valve casing, valves within the valve casing for controlling the feed of lubricant andcompresscd air to the nozzles, the valve which controls the feed of .lubricant being adapted to feed only a predetermined, relatively small quantity ofthe lubricant at each operation of said valve, and a pneuinatically operated piston for simultaneously controlling said valves to permit the simultaneous passage of compressed air and a predetermined quantity of lubricant to the nozzles.

3. In ay system for lubricating the flanges ot car and locomotive wheels, a suitable valve casing provided therein with a cylinder, a source of compressed air, a source of lubricant, means for conveying lubri ant and compressed air from the respective sources to the valve casing, nozzles positioned adjacent the wheel flanges, conduitslcading from the valve casing to said nozzles, valves within the valve casing for normally precluding the passage of compressed air or lubricant to the nozzles, a piston in the cylinder of the valve casing Voperable to simultaneously unseat both of said valves when compressed air is admitted back of the piston, and means for permitting the admission of compressed air into the cylinder back of the piston.

ll. In a system for lubricating the flanges of car and locomotive wheels, a suitable valve casing provided therein with a cylinder, a source of compressed air, a source of lubricant, means for conveying lubricant and comcar and locomotive Wheels, a suitable valve casing provided therein with a cylinder, a source of compressed air, a source of lubricant, means for conveying lubricant and compressed air from the respective sources to the valve casing, nozzles'positioned adjacent the Wheel anges, conduits leading from the valve casing to said nozzles, valves Within the valve casing for normally precluding the passage ofcompressed air or lubricant to the nozzles, a piston in the cylinder of thevalve casing operable to simultaneously unseat-bother said valves When compressed air is admitted back of the pist-on, and valvular means for control Vling the admission of compressed air into the cylinder back of the piston, and f electrical means controlled by pivotal movement of the Wheels on a vertical axis (as when turning a curve) for operating the valve to admit compressed air into said cylinder.

6. In a system for lubricating the flanges of car and locomotive Wheels, a suitable valve casing provided therein With a cylinder, a source of compressed air, a source ofv lubricant, means for conveying lubricant and compressed air from the respective sources to the valve casing, nozzles positioned adjacent the Wheel flanges, conduits leading from the valve casing to said nozzles, valves Within the valve casing for normally precluding the passage Y of compressed air or lubricant to the nozzles,

a piston in the cylinder of the valve casing operable to simultaneously unseat both of said valves Vvvhe'n compressed air is admitted baclr ot the piston, and a magnetic valve operable upon pivotal movement of the Wheels on a vertical axis (as When turning a curve) to admit compressed air into said cylinder.v

ving the flow of lubricant into the measuring chamber, but precluding the lovv of lubricant A and a pneumatically operable piston for operating said valves to openfthe valve Which con# trois the floWIof compressed air and to also" open the valve to permit the passage of lubri- Y cantfrom the measuring chamber into the flow of compressed air 'through the valve casing andsimultaneously shut ofip the flow of lubricant from the source of supply into the lmeasuring chamber.

S. In a system for lubricating the flanges of car andlocomotive Wheels, a suitable valve casing provided therein With a measuring chamber, a source of compressed air, asource of lubricant, means for conveying lubricant sources to the valve casing to cause the lubricant to normally fill the measuring chamber, nozzles positioned adjacent the Wheel flanges, conduits leading from the valve casing to said from the measuring chamber to the nozzles,A

SOr

land compressed air from `the respect-ive Y nozzles, Ya valve Within the valve casing (for.

normally precludng the flow of compressed airy into the valve casing, .a valve. also inthe casing for normally allowing the flow of lu` bricantinto the measuring chamber, butV precluding the flow of lubricant from the measuring chamber to the nozzles, a piston in the y.

cylinder of the valve casing operable to simultaneously'unseat both valves to permit compressed air to flow through the valve casing and lubricant to pass from the measuring chamber into the flow of compressed air and to simultaneously shut off the floW of lubricant from the source of lubricant to the measuring chamber, when compressed air is admitted back of the piston, and means operable upon pivotal movement of the Wheels on a vertical aXis (as When turning a curve) to n admit compressed air Vinto said cylinder. Y n testimony whereof I have signed the foregoing speciication.

HARVEY L. BULLOCK.

7. In a system for lubricating the langes of car and locomotive'vvheels, a suitable valve casing provided therein with a Vcylinder vandalso a measuring chamber, a source of compressed a1r, a source of lubricant, means for conveying lubricant and compressed air from, the respective sources to the valve casingto.

the valve casing -or normally 'precluding'vthe oW of compressed air into thevalvecasing,

avalve also in the casing'for'normally alloW- Y 

